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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26346559">Stolen Moment</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ray_Writes/pseuds/Ray_Writes'>Ray_Writes</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Tumblr Prompts [59]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Arrow (TV 2012)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Romance, F/F, First Kiss, Missing Scene, Pre-Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:08:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>746</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26346559</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ray_Writes/pseuds/Ray_Writes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Something unexpected happens between Laurel and Nyssa when the latter must leave for Nanda Parbat after the Outbreak.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nyssa al Ghul/Laurel Lance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Tumblr Prompts [59]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/763443</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Stolen Moment</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Wrote this as a quick prompt fill for tumblr user nyssalance (if you have an AO3, please let me know!). It was interesting getting to write something set in-canon for the most part without a vague althernate post-4x18 setting involved. I hope people like it, and thanks for reading!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Their lives seemed to be changing all the time, Laurel reflected as Oliver took his leave to go see the world with Felicity. He was leaving the city in their hands, and it would be a process of sorts learning how they all worked together on this new team.</p><p>But before any of that, Laurel wanted to be sure to check in on one of her other friends in the event that she was likely taking her leave as well. In fact, she found Nyssa packing her things, and a sad smile rose to Laurel’s lips at the sight.</p><p>“I guess this is goodbye.”</p><p>Nyssa looked up, though not in surprise. Laurel was sure Nyssa had known she was there the moment she entered the room, if not sooner.</p><p>“I’m afraid so. There is to be an official ceremony to acknowledge the new Ra’s, and all will be expected to attend.”</p><p>Laurel pushed off the doorway she’d been leaning against with a frown. “Wait. It’s not you?”</p><p>Nyssa’s eyes were on the ground and her voice carefully composed as she replied, “Unless my husband failed to notify me otherwise, no. If I am not mistaken, that honor has gone to the Magician.”</p><p>“Malcolm?” Laurel didn’t want to believe it. Why should Malcolm be rewarded for causing this entire mess in the first place? It didn’t matter that he had betrayed Ra’s to help them; Nyssa had done the same, and at much greater risk. She had turned her back on her own <em>father</em> to help save their city. Malcolm had just been playing the game till he wound up on top, like always.</p><p>And now one of Laurel’s closest friends was beholden to Sara’s killer.</p><p>“Nyssa, I’m sorry.”</p><p>“It does very little,” her friend said bitterly, but, after a pause, Nyssa added, “You have no reason to apologize to me.”</p><p>“I’m not apologizing for me. I’m just… I can’t believe this happened. It’s not right.” Her fists were clenched, but there was nothing to fight. Why couldn’t she have done something before the deal was made?</p><p>Nyssa said nothing, just watched her as Laurel thought.</p><p>“What if you didn’t have to go back? The League’s only going to be worse with Malcolm in charge. What if you just… stayed?” She asked, her voice falling off by the end. It was hard asking for something she knew would be denied. Everyone always left in the end, after all. It was wishful thinking to hope Nyssa might be the exception to that rule.</p><p>As if to prove that point, Nyssa shook her head. “My allegiance is to the League no matter who stands at its head. That I aided in my father’s defeat has no bearing on that. Should I not return to Nanda Parbat of my own volition, Ra’s would have me dragged back in chains.”</p><p>Laurel took a step to place herself squarely in Nyssa’s path. “He’d have to go through me first.”</p><p>“And I could never allow that,” Nyssa said quickly. “Not again. Not to you.”</p><p>The air felt heavy between them as Laurel stared into Nyssa’s brown eyes shining with a fierce passion, passion that Laurel had always thought was deserved for Sara and Sara alone. She was captivated by it, drawn in just as Nyssa leaned into her, mouths meeting in the middle.</p><p>The brush of lips. The flutter of eyelashes against her cheek. The briefest touch of a hand to her jaw. These were things Laurel half-remembered from past lovers, but never had it been so <em>soft</em>.</p><p>And abruptly, it was gone, Nyssa pulling away with shock and just the slightest shame staining her cheeks red. She grabbed the pack she had placed her possessions in and fled, too quick for anything else to be said. Gone like everything else. She’d known it was coming.</p><p>Laurel raised a hand to her lips slowly, fingers trembling as she wondered at what had just occurred. What did it mean that her heart was pounding light and quick at a kiss from her sister’s girlfriend? She couldn’t think to betray Sara’s memory that way, could she?</p><p>Perhaps it was better, then, that Nyssa had to go. It would give her time to think about all of this, to get her feelings back under control.</p><p>Laurel had little doubt that they next time she and Nyssa spoke, there would be no mention of this stolen moment. No matter how right, in the moment, it had felt.</p>
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